Vietnam visa guide for UK passport holders

A visa guide for travelling to Vietnam from the UK.

Planning a short stay?

The great news is that there’s been a recent ruling that says that if you’re from the UK (or Germany, France, Spain or Italy) and you’re going to Vietnam for 15 days or fewer, you don’t need a visa as of 1st July 2015. This visa exemption period will be in place until 30th June 2016, and you’ll need at least six months’ validity on your passport to take advantage of it.

It’s also worth noting that if you are planning to do more than one trip to Vietnam of 15 days or less, you’ll need to leave at least 30 days from the end of your last trip before you can enter Vietnam again without a visa. However, if your first trip to Vietnam was with a visa, you can enter again without one less than 30 days after your last trip.

Getting a visa for a longer trip (16 days or more)

If you’re going for 16 or more days, you will still need a visa, and this post explains how to get one. It is possible to arrange a visa on arrival, providing you get an official letter before you leave the UK, but you should be wary of companies that offer to do this, as you may end up with a visa that isn’t officially recognised. The UK Government advises that the safest way to obtain a Vietnam visa is to get one from the Vietnamese Embassy before you travel.

Visas can be obtained any time within six months of travel. Insider Journeys or your travel agent can also assist you in getting a visa for your trip when booking, usually for a small fee to cover courier costs. To find out more about Vietnam before you travel, see our Vietnam travel tips and visa information.

Entering Vietnam more than once

The standard visa that is granted is a single entry visa. If you plan to travel out of Vietnam and then back in again, you will need to make sure that you apply for a multiple entry visa. This needs to be done prior to leaving the UK, as it cannot be done once you have arrived in Vietnam.

What you need:

Original photo: One recent (not more than one year old) passport-sized photograph, which should be attached to the application form.

Visa Fee: Visa and postage fees vary according to the type and length of your stay, currently ranging from £60 for a 30-day stay to £95 for a multi-entry visa (slightly more if you choose the Express service). To obtain the correct visa and postage fees for your visit, contact consular@vietnamembassy.org.uk.

Return envelope: Unless you are picking up your passport in person, include a return envelope with your address on it. Do not include postage, as the fee for this must be added to the visa fee. The postage cost is currently £8 for one passport, £6 for each passport if there are two or three passports and £5 for each passport between four and seven passports.

How to Apply:

In Person:

To apply in person go to 12–14 Victoria Road, London W8 between 9:30am and 12:30pm, Monday to Friday, not including public holidays. You do not need an appointment, but make sure you have everything in the list above, and enough cash to pay the fee. You will then receive a receipt with details of when your passport can be picked up. If need be, a third party can submit and/or pick up your documents for you.

By Post:

Post all the documents listed above by Royal Mail Special Delivery to Embassy of Vietnam, 12-14 Victoria Road, London W8 5RD. A cheque or postal order in British pounds sterling for the visa fee and return postage should be included, payable to the “Embassy of Vietnam”. Include your name, address and phone number, as well as your passport number on the back of the cheque or postal order. Do not send cash. Multiple applications can be sent and returned in one envelope.

By email:

If you are applying for an express or next day visa (additional costs apply), you can apply by email.

First contact Consular@vietnamembassy.org.uk to get the exact fee payable and the bank account details. You will need to advise if you require express (two days) or next day service.

Once you have receive this information send a scanned copy of all the above documents, along with proof the fee has been paid (bank statement, electronic receipt etc.) to the same email address before 12:30pm, business days only. The subject of your email must be “Visa Application”. If your email is received after 12:30pm it will count as being received the following business day and the two day process will begin then.

You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours.

If you do not receive a confirmation, you will need to resend your application as it has not been received. You can then collect your visa by taking your passport to the embassy at 12-14 Victoria Road, London W8 between 9:30am and 12:30pm, Monday to Friday.

Once your application is received it will take five business days to process. This does not include Vietnamese or British public holidays. If you need your visa sooner, you can apply for an express or next day visa which will be processed in two days or one day respectively. There is an additional cost for this. For further information you can contact the embassy by phone on 020 7937 1912 between 9:30am and 12:30pm or by email at consular@vietnamembassy.org.uk.

Once you have received your visa it is your responsibility to check all information is correct and to notify the consulate of any errors before you travel.

Passports

Ensure your passport is valid for an additional six months from the date you are due to arrive home, as you may be denied carriage or entry without this. Once in Vietnam, your hotel will ask for your passport when you check-in, as all foreign visitors must be registered at their place of residency.

Note: All care has been taken to provide accurate information, however due to changes which occur from time to time we cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information. You will need to check the most up to date information with the Foreign Travel Service.